Mission and Practice of U.S. Higher Education in Serving Scientific and Technological Innovation from the Perspective of Strategic Competition

ZHUO Zelin; WANG Xuyan

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Apr. 2026

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ZHUO Zelin, WANG Xuyan. Mission and Practice of U.S. Higher Education in Serving Scientific and Technological Innovation from the Perspective of Strategic Competition[J]. Journal of Modern Education, 2026, (2): 66-78.

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ZHUO Zelin, WANG Xuyan. Mission and Practice of U.S. Higher Education in Serving Scientific and Technological Innovation from the Perspective of Strategic Competition[J]. Journal of Modern Education, 2026, (2): 66-78.

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Mission and Practice of U.S. Higher Education in Serving Scientific and Technological Innovation from the Perspective of Strategic Competition

ZHUO Zelin¹,
WANG Xuyan^{2
,
,}

1.
School of Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
2.
Institute of China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Hangzhou Normal University (Key Research Center of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Zhejiang Province), Hangzhou 311121, China

Received Date: 2026-02-01
Available Online: 2026-04-28
Publish Date: 2026-04-01

Abstract

Abstract

The world today is shifting from the "geopolitical era" to the "technopolitical era", with the intensification of Sino-U.S. strategic competition. Against this backdrop, the role and function of U.S. higher education in serving scientific and technological innovation have undergone fundamental restructuring. From the perspectives of historical evolution and functional analysis, this paper systematically examines the evolutionary logic and practical paths of U.S. higher education in supporting scientific and technological innovation. The study finds that its historical evolution consists of four stages: the germination of competitive awareness, the establishment of security orientation, the deepening of the strategic system, and radical reshaping. At the level of mission restructuring, the economic mission of higher education has shifted to building exclusive competitive advantages, its political mission has been alienated into a tool for national security, and its diplomatic mission has been extended into a weapon of science and technology diplomacy. In practice, universities have formed systematic pathways to serve national strategies by consolidating scientific research foundations and mission-oriented research layout, building high-end human capital and talent pools, and establishing a global system of scientific and technological governance and alliances.
- strategic competition,
- United States,
- higher education,
- scientific and technological innovation

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References(68)

References

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Mission and Practice of U.S. Higher Education in Serving Scientific and Technological Innovation from the Perspective of Strategic Competition

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